to him.

Tutmosis had such an anxious face that the nomarch dismissed the scribe
and the slave straightway; then rising from the couch he looked toward
every corner of the chamber to be sure that no one overheard them.

"Worthy father of Lady Hebron, my revered wife," said Tutmosis, "from
thy bearing I see that Thou divinest the subject of which I wish to
speak."

"The nomarch of Thebes must always look ahead," replied Antefa. "I
divine also that the commander of the guard of his holiness would not
honor me by a visit for a frivolous reason."

For a moment they looked each other in the eyes. Then Tutmosis took a
seat at the side of his father-in-law, and whispered,

"Hast Thou heard vile reports about our sovereign, which the enemies of
the state are spreading?"

"If it be a question of my daughter Hebron," replied the nomarch
quickly, "I declare that Thou art her lord today, and canst have no
question with me."

Tutmosis waved his hand with indifference.

"Some vile persons are reporting that the pharaoh is insane. Hast heard
of this, my father?"

Antefa nodded and turned his head motions which meant equally that he
had, or that he had not. At last he said,

"Stupidity is as great as the ocean; everything finds a place in it."

"This is not stupidity," replied Tutmosis, "but a crime of the priests,
who have in their possession a man who resembles his holiness, and they
make use of him for evil purposes." And he told the nomarch the story
of the Greek Lykon, and his crime in Pi-Bast.

"I have heard of this Lykon who killed the son of the heir," said
Antefa. "But hast Thou proof that Mefres imprisoned Lykon in Pi-Bast,
that he brought him to Thebes, and that he lets him enter the gardens
of the pharaoh to counterfeit the sovereign as insane?"

"Just because I have not proof of this do I ask thee, worthiness, what
to do. I am the commander of the guard and I must watch over the honor
and safety of our sovereign."

"What Thou must do?" repeated Antefa. "Well, first of all take care
that these vile reports do not reach the ears of the pharaoh."

"Why?"

"Because a great misfortune would happen. If our lord hears that Lykon
feigns insanity and pretends to be the pharaoh, he will fall into
terrible anger. Naturally he will direct that anger against Herhor and
Mefres. Maybe he will only abuse them in words, maybe he will imprison
them, maybe he will kill them. Whatever he does, he will do it without
proof,